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Unit of study_
NURS2004: Understanding Mental Health and Illness
2020 unit information
This unit of study is the first of two focusing on mental health nursing and is based on the principle that mental health knowledge and skills are essential for all nurses, regardless of their healthcare setting. The unit is underpinned by an evidence-based holistic understanding of mental health and illness. The unit aims to introduce students to constructs of mental health and wellbeing and mental illness and to the nurse's role in promoting mental health, preventing mental illness and minimising the negative effects of illness for individuals, family/carers and the community. Students will explore and develop core mental health nursing values, skills and knowledge. Consumer and carer perspectives will inform students' understandings of mental health and mental health problems as experienced across the lifespan by children, young people and adults, and older persons of varying cultural and gendered backgrounds. Mental health problems are explored with respect to the latest evidence for risk/protective factors, symptomatology, co-morbidities, nursing care, and psychotherapeutic and physical treatment approaches. The nurse's effective use of self and the therapeutic nurse/client interpersonal relationship as core mental health nursing skills are addressed from theoretical and practical perspectives. Students will develop key mental health assessment and clinical nursing skills. The scope of nursing practice is addressed in a range of mental health and ethico-legal contexts with the overall aim of generating nursing care that supports effective outcomes for mental health consumers and their family/carers.
Unit details and rules
Managing faculty or University school:
Nursing and Midwifery
| Code | NURS2004 |
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| Academic unit | Nursing and Midwifery |
| Credit points | 6 |
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Prerequisites:
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36 Year 1 credit points including NURS1008 |
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Corequisites:
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None |
| Prohibitions:
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None |
| Assumed knowledge:
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None |
At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:
- LO1. comprehend the mental health and well-being continuum, taking into account biopsychosocial risk and protective factors, varied symptomatology of mental ill-health, and comorbid conditions
- LO2. comprehend the association of age, gender, culture and/or other psychosocial factors, and the impacts of this on mental health and well-being
- LO3. express and communicate the principles of promoting mental health and well-being to individuals and diverse consumer groups
- LO4. search for and comprehensively discuss various sources of information, including the professional and evidence-based literature, in relation to the promotion of mental health and well-being
- LO5. understand the consumer and family/carer experience of health and illness.
Unit availability
This section lists the session, attendance modes and locations the unit is available in. There is a unit outline for each of the unit availabilities, which gives you information about the unit including assessment details and a schedule of weekly activities.
The outline is published 2 weeks before the first day of teaching. You can look at previous outlines for a guide to the details of a unit.
There are no availabilities for this year.
Modes of attendance (MoA)
This refers to the Mode of attendance (MoA) for the unit as it appears when you’re selecting your units in Sydney Student. Find more information about modes of attendance on our website.
